LAKELAND - Lakeland Electric plans to invest in solar power, but instead of big panels everywhere, it's looking at smaller communities.
Lakeland Electric is considering a $2.75 million partnership with Tampa-based Block Energy LLC to build an apartment block built on a small solar grid that would be self-contained and help power the utility.
"It's a cost-effective way to serve all these new customers," said Delaine Bacon, vice president of strategy and business development. "It's a property that belongs to the facility... That's what makes it effective."
Lakeland Electric staff met with Block Energy, formerly Emera Technologies LLC, about a year ago to discuss options and a potential pilot program, said Cindy Clemens, director of legislative and regulatory relations for EL.
Under the proposal, Lakeland Electric and Block Energy are partnering with a developer to create a "microgrid" community of 50 to 100 homes with solar panels on the roofs of each home. Each house will have a battery in the ground to store and convert solar energy, connected to each other in the company's "Blockloop". Homeowners can use their own generated energy, or if the home is damaged, the grid can draw stored electricity from a neighbor's battery.
"It's technology, it knows how to balance," said Clemens.
Homes in a "mini-grid" community can support each other during a devastating event or after a storm. Homes generate, store, consume and share energy "all at once," said Bobby Dylan Walsh, Block Energy's vice president of development.
"If something happens or a tree gets struck by lightning or lightning strikes, it's a network. You don't see a flash and it continues," Clemons said.
The community will have a central energy park called "Block Central" with additional battery storage technology to help manage about 15% of the neighborhood's electricity.
The solar microgrid will be fully connected to Lakeland's existing electrical grid. This allows the device to draw energy from it.
"It's designed to connect to the grid to benefit the grid but not overwhelm the grid," Bacon said.
Clemons said Lakeland Electric will own the property. The facility will have access to the roof of the house to access the solar panels and storage boxes. According to Bacon, a typical home roof is in a separate room, so the roof can be repaired or replaced without touching the roof.
Block Energy says homeowners in these potential "mini-grids" would be charged their regular residential electricity bills instead of private solar programs.
Clemens said the system can be used to generate power from the batteries during the hottest summer days, when Lakeland Electric is at its peak capacity.
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Block Energy has several pilot programs, including with Tampa Electric or TECO. another with Kirkland Air Force Base in New Mexico; And launching the Maryland Affordable Housing Partnership.
"What we want to do is serve customers in this new way and not lose the sunlight behind the counter, and give you another tool in your toolbox with other technologies that are constantly emerging," Bacon said. .
Homebuilders often include solar panels in new homes, sometimes including batteries, Bacon said.
"You lose revenue, but you don't have to keep building your equipment because it's always not there."
The Block Energy structure is designed for at least 50 houses. Economically, this is the best group of 200 houses. He said they are experimenting with a cloverleaf design of 50 houses in four communities. This works well for single-family homes and townhouses, but multi-unit apartments are more challenging due to roof space and energy needs.
Lakeland Electric has done some preliminary calculations that show investing in this type of solar community is "slightly more cost-effective" than conventional construction, Clemons said. The power company does not have to build all the power line poles, wires and electrical boxes.
The contract for the pilot program will be submitted to city commissioners for approval this fall, Clemens said. The institute has applied for federal grants to fund the project and expects to receive the funds in September.
If approved by the commission, Clemens said, construction on the solar unit could begin in March or April. The city has not yet spoken to a developer or developers for the project and said the options are open.
Sarah-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow us on Twitter @SaraWalshFl.
This article originally appeared in The Ledger: Lakeland Electric Considers Partnership to Build Solar Community.
